Bay Harbor postpones zoning amendment

Developers will have to wait to build bigger in Bay Harbor. Bay Harbor Islands council members postponed their decision on a proposal that would increase the maximum space buildings can occupy on a plot.

Currently, the district allows for building on 40 percent of the property. But the proposed zoning code amendment would remove exterior balconies from being calculated as part of the total building coverage in the RM3 district, according to the Miami Herald.

“We researched other communities around us and we couldn’t find any other community that had such a standard,” town planner Craig Miller said, referring to the area’s practice of including balconies in its calculations.

However, the proposal has met resistance who feared massive new buildings.

“I am opposed to changing it because when you increase the footprint of a building you increase noise and block views,” said Juan Llarena, a resident in the district. [Miami Herald] – Christopher Cameron